Q: I would like to know about these dolls. Any information would be appreciated.

A: These china dolls are half-dolls or pincushion dolls. They were popular decorative items in the early 1900s and were used to top pincushions, powder boxes, tea cozies, lamps, and other items. Most were made in Germany, others in France or Japan. They have a few holes at the base of the doll to make it easier to sew them to a fabric base.

Half dolls were made with arms in variations of three basic poses: “close,” “open and returning,” and “arms away.” The first type has arms close to the body, with no space between the arms and the body. These were the cheapest to make and generally sell for less than other poses today. The second type, “open and returning,” has space between one or both arms and the body. The third type, “arms away,” has arms away from the body that were cast from separate molds and attached with slip. These were more difficult to make and more easily broken. Today some sell for several hundred dollars.